Reviews and ramblings about children's and young adult literature by an absentminded middle school librarian. I keep my blog to remember what I've read and to celebrate the wonderful world of children's and young adult literature.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted byTynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.Oh Lordy, what a week! First off, it just flew! Zip! Over! Secondly, I attended two publisher previews, which I will give their own posts over the next few days. Thirdly, I am oh so woefully behind in my reading!For review:

Wild Swans by Jackie Morris. 176 p. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, October, 2015. 9781847805362.Publisher synopsis: This very beautiful and lyrical extended version of the fairy tale 'The Wild Swans' by Hans Christian Andersen is the much anticipated companion to East of the Sun, West of the Moon. With strong characterization of the heroine and also with more rounded characterization of the wicked stepmother than in the original version, and with delicate watercolor paintings throughout, this is both a wonderful story and delightful gift. Beautifully presented in a jacketed edition with foiled title.Purchased:

Future Perfect by Jen Larsen. 309 p. HarperTeen/ HarperCollins Publisher, October, 2015. 9780062321237.Publisher synopsis:Jen Larsen, author of the critically acclaimed memoirStranger Hereand a subject of the Oprah Winfrey Network TV showIn Deep Shift with Jonas Elrod, tells a liberating story of hard-won self-acceptance—a tale of one girl, who knows that weight is just a number, and that no one is completely perfect.

This is a distinct, complex debut from a new voice in YA with an unforgettable main character whose doubts and insecurities will resonate with readers, and shed light on the dangers of taking on others' expectations instead of your own.

Underscored by a fierce intelligence and a dry, disarming wit, Future Perfect will satisfy fans of such authors as Maureen Johnson.

Taking Aim: power and pain, teens and guns. Edited by Michael Cart. HarperTeen/ HarperCollins Publishers, September, 2015. 9780062327352.Publisher synopsis:Powerful, riveting, and real. Sixteen celebrated authors bring us raw, insightful stories that explore guns and teens in a fiction collection that is thought provoking and emotionally gripping. For fans ofForgive Me, Leonard PeacockandGive a Boy a Gun, and with an array of YA talent like the late great Walter Dean Myers, the poetic Joyce Carol Oates, the prophetic Elizabeth Wein, and the gritty Chris Crutcher, these are evocative voices that each has a different perspective to give. Capturing the hurt and the healing, victims and perpetrators, these stories get to the heart of the matter.

From a boy whose low self-esteem is impacted when a gun comes into his possession to a student recalling a senseless tragedy that befell a favorite teacher, from a realistic look at hunting to a provocative look at a family that defies stereotypes, each emotional story stirs the debate to new levels. The juxtaposition of guns and their consequences offers moving tales, each a reminder of how crucial the question of guns in our society is, and the impact they have on all of us.

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the secret history of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin. Unabridged audiobook on 7 compact discs, 8 hours. Read by Ray Porter. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing, September, 2015. 9780553552751.Publisher synopsis:From Steve Sheinkin, the award-winning author ofThe Port Chicago 50andBomb comes a tense, exciting exploration of what the Times deemed "the greatest story of the century": how Daniel Ellsberg transformed from obscure government analyst into "the most dangerous man in America," and risked everything to expose the government's deceit. On June 13, 1971, the front page of the New York Times announced the existence of a 7,000-page collection of documents containing a secret history of the Vietnam War. Known as The Pentagon Papers, these documents had been comissioned by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Chronicling every action the government had taken in the Vietnam War, they revealed a pattern of deception spanning over twenty years and four presidencies, and forever changed the relationship between American citizens and the politicans claiming to represent their interests. A provocative audiobook that interrogates the meanings of patriotism, freedom, and integrity,Most Dangerous further establishes Steve Sheinkin as a leader in children's nonfiction.

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs. The Third Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3 CD,15 hours. Read by Kirby Heybourne. Blackstone Audio Inc. October, 2015. 9781504634332.Publisher synopsis:Time is running out for the Peculiar Children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They’ll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies, and face greater dangers than ever. . . . Will Jacob come into his own as the hero his fellow Peculiars know him to be? This action-packed adventure features more than 50 all-new Peculiar photographs.

About Me

Hi! I'm a school librarian at a 5 - 8th grade middle school in northern New Jersey. I read children's and YA literature nearly exclusively. It's that good. I try to read across ages and genres, so my blog has no "theme." I read and review fiction and non-fiction at all levels from picture books (one is never too old for picture books) up to young adult, including audiobooks. I can be reached at bkahnlovesbooks(at)gmail(dot)com regarding where to send submissions for review.